McGovern Dole - Q A Responses Week of March 18-22.pdf

McGovern-Dole FY2024 Notice of Funding Opportunity Questions and Answers

Week of March 18-22 **Please note that the Q&As from the public meeting will be made available with our next posting of Q&As**

1. Q: When USDA recommends geographical areas within a country (districts, regions, etc.), do they expect that all of it will be covered, or can an implementer propose partial coverage?

A: The NOFO country guidance may highlight priority regions within countries, but FAS/USDA does not require Applicants to target all specific regions. Strong applications will provide a clear justification of the Applicant’s method for selecting beneficiaries and geographic areas, as stated in page 22, Section 4 (a) (ii) Country Overview and Context.

2. Q: On page 19, under Application Format, it says tables and graphs may have a smaller font as appropriate, but not specifying any exact size and font. Can USDA please clarify if the applicant may use a smaller font size as appropriate for footnotes, figures/graphics, and text boxes as well?

A: Yes, applicants may use a smaller font size as appropriate for footnotes, figures/graphics, and text boxes. Applicants are advised that readability is of paramount importance and should take precedence in application format, including selecting a legible font type and size for use in the application.

3. Q: On page 30, under Ration Justification the NOFO states "Applicants may provide a chart to reiterate these requirements visually. The chart will not count towards the page limits for this section". Does USDA desire this chart to be placed within the text of the Plan of Operation, or as an attachment/final page of the Plan of Operation so as not to disrupt the page count/page limit calculation?

A: This chart is an optional attachment to the Plan of Operations section that will not count towards page limits for the section. Please note that per the NOFO, if an Applicant chooses to include this chart, it should reiterate information rather than providing new information; the information represented visually in the chart should be available in text of the Plan of Operations.

4. Q: Can USDA provide further information on the Page 27 and 37 Guidance on

Anthropometric measurements including: what primary objective USDA has for anthropometric measurement (e.g. demonstrating program impact on nutritional status;

building national capacity for anthro. measurement; or general research into the feasibility of anthro. measurement in school settings)?

How does USDA want PVOs to capture this in the indicators (e.g. how many custom indicators are appropriate related to anthro. measurement); and does USDA have any preference for health vs education system undertaking the measurements, or any preference/whether measurement should be done only for school children or also for under fives and/or pregnant and lactating women (PLWs), especially those receiving McGovern- Dole school meals/rations.

A: All of the listed objectives are important for USDA/FAS, but we do not anticipate they can all be achieved in all settings. Applicants should communicate the measure(s) they propose, and why, based on the context of the country and their proposed project details. There is no specific number of nutrition-specific custom indicators Applicants should include. USDA/FAS has no preference on whether it’s the health v. education system and this will likely be different for different countries and contexts. Our primary target is school age children and anthropometry should focus on that age group.

5. Q: Under El Salvador Programming Priorities can USDA please define what it means and/or envisions by a "limited" project cycle? Page 66 states "Applicants should plan for limited project cycles that transition quickly to the GOES or community support in line with existing government commitments."

A: Please reference 2. EVALUATION CRITERIA, Sustainability & Lasting Impact, Page 48.

USDA/FAS will evaluate Applicants on the quality of the content and extent to which they provide a realistic graduation plan and timeline with achievable targets and a clear approach towards sustaining program benefits after assistance under McGovern-Dole concludes, including collaborating with and/or building the capacity of the target country government, communities, and other relevant stakeholders.

6. Q: Could USDA provide clarification or recommended approaches on conducting assessments of learning (reading) outcomes in countries where government approaches limit testing/assessment (e.g. no assessment until later primary grades in Angola)?

A: Applicants should strive to use standard indicators where possible, and should note in the indicator handbook that for the standard literacy indicator, p. 72 confirms that “Any assessment system with adequate psychometric validity and reliability is acceptable, e.g. ASER, EGRA, and national assessments.” However, if the timing of national assessments specifically is not aligned with the standard indicator, Applicants may consider proposing a similar custom indicator that reflects country-specific realities while providing the best possible evidence on literacy changes.

7. Q: NOFO p. 79 indicates "four items" to include in the budget narrative for applications, but only three are then bulleted out. Please confirm whether these three bullets are the relevant items to include, or whether there is a fourth item as well.

A: This is a typo, there are only three items to include. The text on page 79 should read:

Please include the following information in the Budget Narratives for applications. (The three items are only relevant to applications. Do not include these items in final negotiated budget narratives)

8. Q: Given the cost constraints of growth monitoring, can applicants present growth monitoring as a special study in selected sites as opposed to wide-scale implementation?

https://fas.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2019-06/fad_indicator_handbook_feb_2019_0.pdf

A: Yes. Anthropometric measures in general are not required to be carried out in the entire project population when used. Applicants should propose what is feasible and relevant in the context of each country and their specific proposed project locations and activities.

9. Q: "On page 49. Monitoring and Evaluation, it states ""USDA/FAS will evaluate Applicants on the quality of the content and extent to which they demonstrate monitoring and evaluation competency; adhere to the criteria; and provide a comprehensive, technically sound description of the Program-level results framework, narrative theory of change, performance indicator table, and evaluation plan." Will the evaluation be affected by how much an Applicant exceeds the 3% minimum requirement for MEL-related costs?

A: No, the evaluation of proposals will not be affected by how much an Applicant exceeds the 3% minimum requirement for MEL-related costs.

10. Q: Can you please advise where applicants can find the full list of U.S. commodities available for the McGovern Dole program?

A: See Appendix H of the McGovern-Dole NOFO for the list of available US-donated commodities for FY24 Food Aid Solicitations.

11. Q: Will applicants with prior experience be prioritized to receive funding?

A: No, applicants with prior experience will not be prioritized to received funding. USDA/FAS will consider applications from all eligible organizations, including current Recipients and new organizations. Please refer to page 9 of the NOFO, SECTION 9. PROGRAM OVERVIEW, OBJECTIVES, AND PRIORITIES

12. Q: Will programs be considered that only focus on the support of maternal, infant, and child nutrition program, or do all programs need to have a school feeding component?

A: No, programs that only focus on maternal, infant and child nutrition will not be considered as a complete McGovern-Dole proposal submission. All programs are expected to have a school feeding component. Please reference the NOFO, page 8, 2. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION.

USDA/FAS expects that Recipients of awards made under this opportunity will leverage donated U.S. agricultural commodities, local and regional agricultural commodities, and financial and technical assistance to carry out school feeding projects that strengthen food security, reduce the incidence of hunger, improve literacy and education, particularly with respect to girls, and support maternal, infant, and child nutrition programs.

13. Q: The NOFO states that “Recipients should allocate approximately ten percent of the total proposed federal award for the LRP component”. Can this amount only be used for purchasing commodities? Or is it permitted to use this allotment to cover staff salaries assigned to this component and ITSH costs relevant to the LRP component?

A: The amount allocated for the LRP component should include both the direct and indirect costs of purchasing local or regionally produced commodities. This should also include the associated costs, including the transportation, storage, handling, and other costs associated with the locally and regionally procured commodities. It will not include capacity building costs nor cost share.

This information can be found on page 44 of the NOFO.

14. Q: We would be grateful if you could provide information on the eligibility of Tanzanian organizations for the program and any specific requirements or application details that would be relevant to our proposed school garden project.

A: Please note Tanzania is not priority country for the FY2024 McGovern-Dole Interational Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (McGovern-Dole), Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). However as stated on page 9 of the McGovern-Dole NOFO, Section 9.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW, OBJECTIVES, AND PRIORITIES “USDA/FAS will consider applications from all eligible organizations, including current Recipients and new organizations.

USDA/FAS will prioritize funding for projects in priority countries. For additional information on the priority countries for this funding opportunity, Applicants should refer to Appendix B:

Country Specific Guidance. USDA/FAS will consider funding a project in a non-priority country, but an application for a non-priority country must include sufficient justification.”

Please refer to this section for further eligibility details.

15. Q: Are for-profit companies eligible to receive an award?

A: No, for-profit companies are not eligible to receive an award. Please see Part C:

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION in the NOFO and refer to the linked references, as copied below.

In accordance with the McGovern-Dole authorizing legislation, 7 U.S.C. 1736o-1, the following entities are eligible Applicants:

• Private Voluntary Organizations (see 7 CFR section 1599.2 for the definition of a private voluntary organization);

• Cooperatives;

• Intergovernmental Organizations;

• Governments of developing countries and their agencies; and

• Other organizations.

Per 7 CFR 1599.2 “’Private voluntary organization’ means a not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization (in the case of a United States organization, an organization that is exempt from Federal income taxes under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) that receives funds from private sources, voluntary contributions of money, staff time, or in-kind support from the public, and that is engaged in or is planning to engage in voluntary, charitable, or development assistance activities (other than religious activities).”

16. Q: In section 5E of the McGovern-Dole NOFO, market study requirements are listed for schools. What market study requirements are required for maternal and infant care?

A: The market study is not used to assess maternal and infant care. The market study will be a detailed assessment of the market functionality to determine the most appropriate strategies for supplying targeted schools with the required quantities of the selected commodities. For information on the Market Study please reference page 57 of the NOFO. Maternal and infant care metrics are assessed under the Evaluation Plan of the Project. More information on the evaluation plan can be found on page 37 of the NOFO.

17. Q: Who is the USDA/FAS Administrator that will be in charge of final decision making for this grant opportunity?

A: The Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service is Daniel Whitley.

18. Q: If able to offer such information, how many applicants does McGovern-Dole typically receive for this opportunity each year vs how many the organization is able to fund? Is it possible to receive a breakdown of the number of applications per country?

A: FAS anticipates making nine awards in 2024. We are unable to provide any additional information on the number of applications received.